Lisa Blecker is now on faculty as the Pesticide Safety Instructor in the Department of Agricultural Biology with Colorado State University and administrator for the Pesticide Regulatory Education Program (PREP). We thank Lisa Blecker for 10 years of service with UC IPM as the statewide pesticide coordinator. Blecker’s accurate, unbiased information supported pesticide applicators, pesticide safety educators, and IPM educators on how to do their jobs effectively while keeping themselves and bystanders safe from pesticide exposure. Blecker joined UC IPM in 2011 to lead a new program in pesticide safety education. Blecker developed and delivered train-the-trainer programs throughout the state, in both English and Spanish, for those who instruct field workers and unlicensed pesticide handlers. Blecker served as California’s designated Pesticide Safety Education Coordinator for the U.S. EPA–USDA pesticide safety program and continued UC IPM’s work with California Department of Pesticide Regulation in developing study guides and exams to certify pesticide applicators. Using pesticides appropriately is a fundamental part of an IPM approach. “By giving pesticide applicators the tools they need to apply pesticides in a safe and effective manner, we are promoting the goals of IPM,” Blecker said. The self-supporting program continued the educational programs and successes of the earlier Pesticide Safety Education Program that closed in 2005.
Sarah Hirnyck moved to Colorado State University as the pesticide outreach specialist, continuing to coordinate the Pesticide Regulatory Education Program (PREP). Hirnyck joined UC IPM as a communication education specialist. Hirnyck planned and developed PREP program courses and provided bilingual pesticide safety training programs for pesticide handlers, fieldworkers, and pesticide applicators throughout California.
John Sung accepted a programmer position with UC Davis. Sung started with UC IPM in 2019 as the computer resource specialist. During his two years with UC IPM Sung’s major accomplishments include designing and contributing to the coding of the IPM Tracker system, contributing to the refresh of the Grape Powdery Mildew and Fireblight models, contributing to the development of the Wildlife Pest Identification Tool, and providing technical support for everyone that requested it. We wish John much success in his new position.
UC Cooperative Extension Advisor Gabriel Torres left UC Agriculture and Natural Resources to lead research and development for Helena Agri-Enterprises in the southern San Joaquin Valley. Torres was an affiliated advisor with UC IPM. Torres was helping UC IPM determine if less expensive local weather stations could be used with the grape powdery mildew index. UC Cooperative Extension academics who work in pest management are invited by the director to affiliate with UC IPM on 5-year terms to broaden the Program’s support and outreach network throughout California.